Apparatus for annealing glassware



1 March 927 v. MULHOLLAND APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING GLASSWARE Filed Sent. 29, 1925 Inventor:

.A m u M .J 0/ Z Patented Mar. 29, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMPIRE COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, WARE.

CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF DELA- APPARATUS FOR ANNEALING GLASSWARE.

Application filed September The invention relates to apparatus for annealing glassware and it has particular re lation to lehrs of the type embodying a tunnel having heating flues extending beneath the floor thereof and an endless belt extending above and supported directly by the floor such as that disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,560,481, dated November 3, 1925.

The object of the present invention is to improve upon the temperature conditions in the tunnel of a lehr of the character described, by' forming the floor, which constitutes the upper wall of the heating flues, with a plurality of corrugations or other surface modifications in order to provide an increased heat-radiating surface in proportion to the width of the tunnel andin order to decrease the area of contact between the floor and the conveyor supported thereby.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of a lehr tunnel embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of corrugated tunnel floor;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating a still further modified form of corrugated floor in which the corrugations are of herring-bone configuration.

Referring to the drawings, a portion of a tunnel of a lehr is shown as being of sectional construction, each section comprising a bottom 1, side walls 2 and a top 3, all of which are preferably constructed of cast iron and are surrounded 'by a heat insulating material 4, such as powdered kieselguhr or the like, which is enclosed within a sheet metal casin 5.

It plurality of longitudinal heating flues 6 are formed in the bottom 1 and their upper walls are formed with a plurality of corrugations 7 of V shape in cross section, which form a series of longitudinal ridges 8 and depressions 9. The ware-bearing strand of a conveyor 10 extends through the tunnel and is supported directly upon the ridges 8. This conveyor is of open-work structure being constructed of flexible woven wire fabric and as a result does not interfere materially with the radiation of heat into the tunnel from the heated floor. Inasmuch as the sides of the corrugations are inclined, the heat will be radiated therefrom in lateral directions, and will therefore not only tend to produce a uniform temperature transversely of the tunnel but will impinge upon the vsides of 29, 1925. Serial No, 59,319.

the wareduring its passagethrough the tunnel and tend to produce a more uniform temperature in the ware.

- Moreover, the ridges'8 afford what is substantially a line support for the conveyor as it traverses the tunnel, thereby materially reducing the area of contact therewith and the resulting retardation through friction.

It is desirable to avoid any tendency for air to flow longitudinally through the tunnel 5 between the heated floor and the conveyor, as such air currents would interference mat'erially with the control of the temperature in the tunnel. Such a tendency would manifest itself if thedepressions 9 were continuous and if either a draft of air should exist or develop in the factory in the vicinity of the lehr or if the tunnel is disposed at an inclination to the horizontal.

In order therefore to prevent such a condition from arising, the continuity of the depressions may be either interrupted at intervals by transverse ribs or webs 11 (Fig. 2) or by inclining the corrugations in oppos(i1t e dire)ctions in a herring-bone arrangement T e ends of each of the sections of the floor may be formed with transverse flanges 12 (Figs. 2 and 3) which, together with the ribs 11, not only prevent the flow of air in the depressions 9, but serveto reenforce the sections of the floor and minimize the deformation thereof through expansion and contraction.

It will be understood that the several necessary elements constituting the invention may be varied in proportion and arrangement without departing from the nature and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention! 1. Apparatus for annealing glassware comprising a tunnel having a ribbed floor, and a conveyor extending through said tunnel and supported by the ribs of said floor. loo

2. Apparatus for annealing glassware comprising a tunnel having a corrugated floor, said corrugations forming a series of' parallel ridges and depressions, a heating flue disposed beneath said floor, and a con- 105 veyor extending through said tunnel and supported by said ridges.

3. Apparatus for annealing glassware comprising a tunnel having a corrugated floor, said corrugations forming a series of no arallel flat top ridges and depressions,

eating flue disposed beneath said floor, and a conveyor extending through said tunnel and supported by said. ridges.

4. Apparatus for annealing glassware comprislng a tunnel having a, corrugated floor, said corrugations forming a series of longitudinal ribs and depressions, a heating flue disposed beneath said floor, and a conveyor extendin through said tunnel and supported by said ridges.

5. Apparatus for annealing glassware comprising a tunnel having a corrugated floor, said corrugations forming a series of ridges and depressions a heating flue extending beneath said floor, a conveyor extending above said floor and supported directly by said ridges, and means for preventing the flow of air through said depressions.

'aT l 6. Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising a tunnel havinga floor provided with a plurality of raised portions, and a conveyor for transporting articlesof glassware through said tunnel having the ware bearing strand thereof support-ed by said raised portions.

7. Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising a tunnel having a floor provided with a plurality of spaced supporting surfaces, and a conveyor for transporting articles of glassware through said tunnel and having at least a portion of the ware-bearin strand thereof slidably supported by sai surfaces.

Signed at Hartford, Conn. this 28th day of September 1925.

VERGIL MULHOLLAND. 

